For many people, every New Year comes with the New Yearâs Resolution. These usually take the shape of fairly life-changing goals, such as finding a new job or finally getting ripped for the summer.
However, such a mindset is destined for failure.
Sure, itâs a good idea to have overarching goals. They provide a sense of focus and a general direction to head towards. But it isnât sustainable. Think about it, if you woke up every day telling yourself âI need to find a jobâ, the enormity of it all will weigh heavy. You canât just find the perfect role with the click of your fingers. If anything, a constant reminder of your overarching goal will weigh you down.
Big changes require small actions. More specifically, micro-habits. By implementing any of the seven micro-habits Iâll explain in this article, you put yourself in the best possible position to change your life in a positive way. With each small habit, youâre chipping away at your goals and dicing them up into smaller, more attainable pieces.
Planning, Planning, Planning
When thinking about going on holiday, the planning is unlikely to be your first thought. Of course, you may love the planning process, but itâs easy to forget how crucial it is, not just for a stress-free trip but in every day life too.
If youâre looking to change your life for the better, planning is something that can dramatically help.
Letâs take your daily routine. One thing off-putting about exercise – particularly the gym – is the length of the process. Think about it, you need to get ready, travel, workout, go home, and then cook a meal. Itâs not the quickest process in the world, but with a bit of simple planning, you can save yourself so much time and mental energy required to exercise in the first place.
For example, you could get your bag and clothes ready the night before you leave (this helps when getting up early for anything). You can plan your workout from there, eliminating the headache of which machine to use.
A more significant step is meal preparation – a valuable time-saving tactic for everyone. You could cook a batch of lunch meals for the week, helping your day move along swiftly without needing to stop and cook.
A prominent part of changing your life is about maximising your time. Planning gives you some back.
Active Breaks
Even though the pandemic normalised remote working, a few similar elements carry over. For example, even though youâre not in an office, youâre likely at a laptop sitting in an office chair.
To change your life, the difference lies in how you take a break. In an office setting, itâs perhaps tempting to go from sitting behind a computer at your desk to sitting in a break room looking at a phone. While you have more freedom at home, the comforts of a sofa and television are not far away.
Instead, take an active break. This means changing your current state. If youâve been sitting behind a screen, take a walk. Go and play with your dog, or perhaps a stretch. Changing your environment and state as much as you can paves the way for recharging.
After all, weâre only human. We cannot work for 9 hours straight, and your body wonât properly realise itâs time for a break if you do a similar activity all the time.
Recharging, even if itâs just for ten minutes, is a vital tool to have when trying to turn your life around.
Get the Right Water Bottle
Of course, everyone knows the benefits of drinking more water. It keeps you alive, after all. That being said, itâs often a forgotten thing, as dehydration is unlikely to be at the top of your concerns when your mind is elsewhere.
You could set reminders to drink water, but thereâs a more you-friendly way.
Think of your water bottle as your trusted companion. Sure, you may have friends or family, but a water bottle will go absolutely anywhere with you, always providing aid in a time of dehydrated need.
The type of water bottle you have can dramatically change how you drink it. For example, bottles with straws in them are becoming incredibly popular because of how easy they are to use. By not needing to lift your head up and over, sipping water is something that will slowly become habit.
After all, itâs the little things.
Learn the Power of a Playlist
Music flows all around us. Thereâs a song for every mood. Whether youâre running Shrek-style through a field of flowers or setting the tone for a study session, music has an innate ability to draw emotion out from within.
Organising your music into specific playlists allows you to pick and choose the type of music you need instead of continuously searching for songs. Remember, changing your life is mainly about saving your time – time you can better use elsewhere.
Daydreaming
What are micro-habits? Itâs in the name. If the habit is too daunting to begin, youâre much less likely to persevere. Thatâs why micro-habits need to be as easy and accessible as possible.
Thereâs perhaps nothing more simple than daydreaming. While kids may be told off for it at school, it can actually be a very powerful tool. You see, daydreaming isnât wasted time. Itâs thinking time.
Take J.R.R Tolkein, author of The Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit seriesâ. Itâs claimed he thought of Middle Earth and everything else besides while daydreaming during a marking session as a university professor. J.K Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter series, imagined a bespeckled boy with a scar on his head while daydreaming on a train.
Daydreaming may be forgettable most of the time, but it can lead to some beautiful ideas, which is great for creativity – a tool everyone should employ if they wish to change their lives.
Ask Yourself One Question
Thereâs one phrase weâve all likely heard: if you donât ask, you donât get. Itâs so popular because itâs true. Asking in the first place can be difficult, however. Start by asking yourself a simple question:
âWhatâs the worst that could happen?â
In many instances, the worst is a âno.â Iâm here to tell you thatâs okay. The word ânoâ itself isnât a bad thing. Itâs the negativity surrounding it that does the damage. If the worst thing to happen in that scenario is being told ânoâ, then you have nothing to lose.
Micro-Analyse Your Behaviour
No one likes a micro-manager. That annoying presence constantly looming over your shoulder and picking at all your work is one many will relate to, but thatâs not what this means. By micro-analysing your behaviour, youâre able to understand it with much more depth than otherwise.
For example, letâs say you procrastinate more than you like. When you dig deeper, you might notice that you put off a task because youâre worried it may amount to nothing, so not doing it is a way of protecting yourself from any kind of rejection. By learning that, you can adjust. For instance, you may choose to split tasks up into smaller chunks to more easily feel like youâve achieved something.
The problem many have with micro-analysing is the lens they see it through. Realising some patterns of behaviour you donât like mustnât be met with self-hate. Instead, itâs an opportunity to learn and grow.
Incorporating these micro habits can have a profound impact over time. Discover more transformative habits in our Habits and Behavior Guide.
Conclusion – The Smaller, the Better
The less time you spend catching up from mistakes, whether through a lack of planning or not learning from unfavourable behaviour, the more time youâll have to look at the bigger picture.
If thereâs anything you should take away from this article, itâs this. Big, dramatic changes donât happen overnight, nor is it likely one singular action will make a difference. Instead, implementing small, micro-habits helps you make achievable, positive alterations in your life which, when put combined, make a significant change.
Itâs this very concept that propelled James Clear to international recognition with his bestselling book Atomic Habits. Throughout the book, he argues that the biggest reason people donât fulfil their goals is that the path toward them is murky and too daunting.
Micro-habits remove the fear and place your future firmly in your hands.
